Micro Short Filmmaking
A guided learning journey
by
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INTRODUCTION I wrote this book because I had the very delightful experience of making a micro short film almost by accident, and was pleasantly surprised when it got accepted into several film festivals around the world and even got nominated for an award. Since then, I have made many more short films, and have had similar acceptance in festivals worldwide. If you had told me a couple of years ago that I would end up being recognized as a director and producer of micro short films, I might have laughed. Surely those were different kinds of people than me. How did I do it? I read, watched, learned, experimented, took some chances, suspended my disbelief in myself, blundered through with the help of online video tips, and generally just did it. This was a bit out of character for me, as it might be for you. I wrote this book for you, because I want you to feel that you too can just go ahead and make a really short film, and get it into festivals and seen by people around the world. You can do this just for fun, or because it’s something new and different for you, or just to learn and try something unfamiliar, stretching and growing yourself in the process. I am here, with this book, to mentor you through the things I learned, and get you set on your journey as a filmmaker. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book is set up to guide you through the process of making your first micro short film, getting it into film festivals and out into the world. The progress of the chapters assumes that you are coming into this journey with little or no experience in filmmaking. Rather than being a technical guide, this book is intended to support and encourage your growth as an artist and filmmaker, finding your own voice in the process. By following the flow of the book, you will gain confidence in your own abilities, and learn some tips and shortcuts that will make the journey easier for you. You will also need a learning journal of some sort, be it a tablet, spiral bound notebook or whatever you prefer to record ideas in. By doing the exercises throughout the book, in order, you will cement the lessons, gain practical experience, and build a solid, disciplined way of working that will serve you well in the future. Recording your exercises, thoughts and other work in your learning journal will let you build your own body of knowledge and artistic vision for your work. Supplementing the lessons in the book with current web resources, and building a good set of tools for yourself will equip you with a well-rounded toolkit that you can keep current as you move forward. There will always be a new free editing tool, or a cool new phone app, new festivals or other trends that evolve, and you will want to keep on top of these. This book is like your mentor or “guide on the side” that you can fall back on to reinforce the foundational principles that will have made you a good and experienced micro short filmmaker. Finally, in the spirit in which this book was written, I hope you will also pass on the knowledge you have gained to someone else who is just beginning their journey into micro short films.
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About the Book
You want to make movies but don’t know where to start. It seems there are too many barriers like lack of knowledge, money, and equipment. Plus, you never went to film school. I wrote this book for you. Together we will make your first film, a one-minute micro short, and get it entered into festivals. We will do this all with your existing resources. Sound good? Let’s go!
About the Author
Robert David Duncan is an award-winning filmmaker, actor and instructor based in Vancouver, Canada. He is also the founder and festival director of the Miniature Film Festival, which celebrates the work of micro short filmmakers worldwide. His first micro short film "Every Boat is a Dream" came about almost by accident, when he chanced upon an abandoned and half sunken sailboat during a rare Vancouver snowstorm. He shot some video footage with a smartphone, and later wrote a fictional narrative about the boat and its final owner. The film went on to be exhibited at festivals in several countries and was nominated for a Best Drama award. Since then, Robert has continued to make micro short film, many of them just one minute long, that have been in festivals around the world. His film "Beauty's Bubble" was awarded a win in the One Minute Story category at the Montevideo Festival of New Cinema, and his film "The Esteem Coach" won a Director's Award at the North Carolina Film Awards. Having come to filmmaking and acting later in life, Robert believes that we all have fun and meaningful stories to tell, and that today's technology makes it easy for any of us to make a micro short film that can be entered successfully in film festivals, or simply shared with friends and loved ones. In his book "Micro Short Filmmaking" Robert shares his approach to making films and takes us on a guided learning journey that both builds confidence and gently pushes us into making our own little films. Robert trained as an actor at the Stella Adler Studio in New York, and also holds a BA, an MBA and a Doctorate in Business Leadership. He is also an author and co-author of books on teamwork, collaboration and creativity. Robert also teaches both business and creative subjects and loves speaking to groups about creativity, collaboration and leadership.